


Second Chances

by LuminaLunii



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Heir of Hogwarts Founders, M/M, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Partially political, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Slight OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 18:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16352045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuminaLunii/pseuds/LuminaLunii
Summary: Nova Alya Black never existed in the Harry Potter universe, she knew that. She didn't understand how she was there or why, but she knew she wasn't going to give up the chance to help some of her favorite characters and maybe fall in love along the way. This is a partial AU. While I'm trying to keep to canon, most of the story changes because of Nova's influence and I may end up adding an extra twist that I've hinted at before. May become M rated in later school years. This has been updated. Hope you enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova be tripping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm re-posting the story so hopefully you'll like the changes. If not, I'm sorry but I do. It's going a bit differently then how the original went but it's still the same story. Happy readings everyone!  
> All rights to Harry Potter and original plot go to J.K. Rowling!

 

            There was nothing…then with a push, a new life was brought into the world.

            “It’s a girl!” shouted one of the nurses in the room.

            _Who’s a girl? Where am I? What’s going on!_

None of the adults were aware of the too mature thoughts running through the newborn’s mind as they were all rushing around. The new mom, whose face was pale but content, held out her hands for her daughter. She smiled lovingly at the small bundle placed in her arms, seemingly unaware of anything else in the world.

            The newborn was squirming around, as though trying to look around even while her eyes stayed closed. Her mother lightly rubbed her thumb over the small clump of light curls on her head.

            “Do you have a name for her?” the doctor asked, watching the two as the mother’s smile turned tender and sad.

            “Nova, Nova Alya Black,” the new mom said.

            _Nova?_ The baby’s mind slowed down for a moment as she was held up in arms that were much too big to her. She was surrounded by warmth and felt a sense of peace and safety wash over her.

            She didn’t know where she was or what was happening, but she felt a bit calmer. Unable to resist the instincts of her new body, Nova slipped into a deep sleep, her old memories flowing by, nothing more than dreams.

…

            Nova spent many months sorting through her own confusing thoughts and memories as she grew. Her mother, Ellie as she had introduced herself to people, seemed to notice her panic and was concerned those first few months.

            It wasn’t easy accepting that you had died and been reborn, but it happened, and Nova decided this was a good thing, even if being a baby and conscious of it was annoying. It wasn’t until she was five months old that she could sit up and look around more.

            She didn’t particularly care about where they were since it seemed her new mom liked to move a lot. Basically, every month…okay, so Nova was a bit curious, but it wasn’t like she could ask her mom.

            She decided early on that she adored her mother and knew that her mom loved her just as much. Her mom was pretty with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes that glimmered with love for Nova. It was a novel experience for a girl who remembers a life with a family that could hardly be called that. She felt cared for and was quite happy to bask in it while she could.

            There was something that caused her a great deal of surprise when she first noticed it. Her mom had magic. She had a wooden stick, a wand, that she waved around often. She’d make colors and lights for Nova or use it to clean the apartment they were staying in at the time.

            Nova was intrigued but she didn’t really think anything of the new aspect of her life, though it made her more curious why they were constantly moving. Her mom always became nervous by the end of a month and would pack everything up and go to a new town.

            Nova didn’t understand what was going on and it made her concerned, but she was just a baby so there wasn’t much she could actually do. She could barely walk properly!

            It was a late August night that changed everything. Her birthday had just passed a few weeks ago. She was crawling around the living room of the small apartment they were staying in. Her mom was smiling at her as she crawled around.

            She came to a stop when she noticed a mirror laying against the wall. It was the first time she got a good look at herself. Her hair was slowly growing out, it just barely covered her head now. She pouted, upset that she looked like a boy. She just wanted it longer.

            Much to her surprise, and her mother’s shock, her hair started growing and quickly. It went passed her shoulders, turning the exact shade as her mother’s. Nova stared at herself, realizing it looked a bit strange for a baby to have such long hair. Once again, her hair very quickly shrunk until it was a nice pixie cut.

            She didn’t get to analyze herself further as she heard a gasp behind her. She turned to look at her mom whose expression was a mixture of awe and fear, though she didn’t think the fear was directed at her.

            “You’ve got his family magic,” Ellie muttered, too low for Nova to pick up.

            She bit her lip, looking around the room before sighing and waving her wand. Immediately, items began shrinking and moving back into boxes which were never put away.

            Nova didn’t realize what was happening until the next day when she was strapped in her car seat and the car was speeding away from the small apartment they were in. Nova stared out the window, resigned to this happening a lot more, until there was an abrupt jerk of the car.

            “No!” Nova’s mom cried out as the car seemed to flip unnaturally fast.

            Nova screamed as her world spun. She felt an intense warmth wrap around her whole body, not understanding what it was even as the car came to an abrupt halt. She felt a small burst of pain on her head as she started to notice the flashing lights and loud voices outside the car.

            She heard no sounds from the one person she desperately wished to as she fell unconscious.

…

            Nova woke up to quiet voices next to where she lay. Her head still hurt, and she couldn’t remember what had happened.

            “…couldn’t find anybody from either side of her family. Her father doesn’t even seem to exist,” Nova turned towards the sound of the voice.

            There was a doctor and two police officers next to her. She glanced around the room, assuming she was probably in a hospital. Panic coursed through her.

            _Where’s my mom!_

            She listened as the cops and doctor talked, tears forming in her eyes as she realized what had happened. Her mom, the most amazing person she knew from either life, was gone. She was alone without the one person who had loved her.

            Nova couldn’t control the cry that left her, her emotions and reactions still too instinctual. A nurse ran in the room to pick her up, but Nova paid her no mind. The last few months of this new life passed through her mind. She lingered on her mom’s smile, so warm and full of love. She thought of her laugh, how she would get excited whenever Nova did anything new.

            The nurse checked her over as Nova eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep, hoping to wake up to this just being a dream.

…

            Nova spent another two weeks in the hospital until she was sent to a foster home. They were a nice couple as far as she could tell, but she was still wary of them.

            She spent months either mourning her mom or futilely trying to stop her panic attacks at the thought of being alone again. She had finally got a parent who loved her in this life and now she was an orphan…again.

            Flashbacks of angry foster parents and judgmental classmates ran through her head. She was only eighteen when she had died; she barely had a chance to start her life. Now she had to do it all over again.

            That’s what she did until she was five. She had just been moved to a new group home that was more like an orphanage from the past than it was a foster home. At least she seemed to have her own room. It was just a bed and dresser, but she’d stayed in worse before.

            She had stashed the few photos and belongings of her mom that survived the crash behind her dresser. She didn’t trust the other few kids and teens in the home. Not that any of them would come into her room. She had a few other…incidents that made others a bit leery of her. There were five other children living there.

            The couple who housed them seemed nice, if a little distant considering there were so many kids and they both worked. They at least kept all the children fed and clothed in nice outfits, though many were bought second hand.

            Nova didn’t mind much, but she still made use of her window on the first floor to sneak out and run to the park to have some peace and quiet.

            School was starting in a week and the house was just too loud. Nova preferred her solitude. It was calmer…and safer.

            She climbed out of the house easily, landing barefoot, uncaring of her lack of shoes. It was a bit cloudy and cool for a summer day, but it was perfect for being outside.

            She skipped happily away from the neighborhood. Nobody paid much attention to the young girl in ripped jeans and tank top. She slowed as she got to the park, happy to note not many people were there.

            She went over to her favorite tree. It had a branch just low enough for her to reach, even with how small she was.

            “Seriously, I better be taller than I was before. I’m not climbing on counters to reach cups anymore,” she grumbled as she hauled herself up, laying on one of the larger branches.

            She glanced around the park and out towards all the neighborhoods. She knew she lived in Surrey, having come from that hospital, but that was all she knew. She never really paid attention or snatched mail to find out where exactly she was.

            It was very…boring here. Most of the houses and lawns looked the same.

            _It’s just so…_ Dursley _here,_ Nova thought, smirking at her own joke.

            She didn’t remember everything from her life. Nobody could remember everything about themselves, but she could remember her books.

            Harry Potter was probably one of her favorite worlds there was. Magic and dragons. A mother’s love and one boy’s fight. A world where so much was possible, if you could only imagine it. She always dreamed of a world like that.

            Of course, now she apparently had magic, but she didn’t really understand it. It didn’t happen often, and she didn’t really understand it, so she ignored it for the most part.

            _Maybe this is the Harry Potter world,_ she snickered to herself at that.

            She wouldn’t be _that_ lucky. People don’t just end up in their favorite story book.

            “People also don’t get reincarnated with their memories,” she muttered under her breath just as she heard running feet.

            Nova looked down towards the entrance of the park. There were a few boys running after another kid, yelling words she couldn’t really hear. The one being chased was small. He looked years younger than the other boys which upset Nova. She detested bullying.

            “Come back here, freak!” the largest boy yelled out.

            The smaller one just sped up, heading closer to Nova’s tree. All she saw from her position was a mop of messy black hair, but she didn’t really care about that. She laid flat against the branch, holding her hand down.

            “Jump!” she yelled.

            The boy looked up in surprise and Nova caught a glimpse of bright emerald eyes before he jumped and caught her arm. She hauled him up, groaning at his weight. She was only five, for crying out loud!

            The other five boys stopped under the tree, none of them looking ready to try and follow the boy up. A few of them blushed as they looked at Nova. Not that it was surprising.

            Nova’s bright, honey blonde hair curled down to her lower back. Her eyes were…different. Her right one was a bright blue so similar to her mother. The other was a glittering silver that seemed to shine even without light. They couldn’t see her very well with the shade of the tree, but she was a girl. A pretty girl. The larger boy didn’t seem to take note of her, though, as he glared at the boy now sitting shakily next to her.

            “Come down, freak, we need to practice,” he grinned ominously.

            Nova frowned in disgust.

            “That’s not very nice,” she said, bringing the bully’s attention to her. His cheeks pinked a bit, but otherwise he seemed determined.

            “It’s none of your business,” he said.

Nova hummed quietly before jumping quickly off the tree. The other boys stepped back as she stepped out from underneath the tree. The bully’s face grew redder, but not in anger anymore.

“It’s not nice to be mean to other,” she said in her perfected five-year-old voice before smiling sweetly at them, “don’t you all agree?”

All of them started nodding their heads, even the larger boy. Nova counted it as her win. All of them stood there a moment longer before finally, after glancing up at the boy in the tree, the larger boy turned and ran back out of the park. His friends quickly followed.

Nova grinned in triumph, happy to have done her good deed of the day. She turned back towards the tree and up at the boy who was now staring in awe at her.

            “You can come down now,” she said lightly, unsure if she could climb up with him there now. He scrambled a bit to jump down and fidgeted as he stepped back against the tree. She smiled as nicely as she could at him, though that seemed to make him confused.

            “It’s okay; I’m not going to hurt you or anything. Why were they chasing you?” she asked lightly, not wanting to scare the boy.

            He stared at her for a moment, not saying anything. As she continued to look at him, she couldn’t but think he looked familiar. Which was silly since she didn’t know anybody here.

            He was a bit shorter than her, though not by much. His clothes were baggy…really baggy. His hair stuck up everywhere, seeming to defy gravity. His skin was darkly tan from what she could tell. It made his bright eyes contrast even more on his face. She was brought out of her observations by his voice.

            “They wanted to…play,” he said unsurely, not looking at her anymore. She frowned.

            “It didn’t seem like a fun game,” she commented breezily. His lips twitched but he just shrugged back. She huffed and crossed her arms.

            “Do you want to play something that’s actually a game?” she asked.

            He looked up at her, wary but hopeful as he nodded his head. She smiled happily which made him smile slightly back, his cheeks flushing. Nova held her hand out expectantly, watching as he moved slowly closer and out of the tree’s shadow.

            “My name’s Nova, Nova Black,” she told him expectantly.

            She barely caught his name as he brushed his hair aside before taking her hand in his. Her eyes widened as she saw something she did not see before. A scar. A lightning scar right on his forehead. She felt like an idiot for not even considering it, but she also didn’t need him to say his name for her to know it.

            “My name’s Harry, Harry Potter.”

            Nova couldn’t help the rush of air that left her as she abruptly collapsed, leaving Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World and one of her favorite _fictional_ characters, to stare wide eyed as his first friend passed out in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The years go by

Nova was grounded for the week before classes started. She would have probably been in more trouble if she hadn’t been brought home unconscious. It was actually a good thing she couldn’t leave her room because it gave her a chance to look over everything she figured out.

            One, she had somehow been born into the Harry Potter universe.

            Two, she was a witch.

            Three, her name was Nova Alya Black, a very witchy name and one that fit too well with a specific family.

            Four, she had no clue who her father was. It was most likely one of the Black brothers, but that was all she knew.

            And last, she had somehow ended up living in the same town as Harry Potter.

            “A fangirl’s dream, huh? No wonder Ginny was too scared to talk to him at first,” she muttered to herself as she got ready for the first day of class.

            Honestly, as excited as she was, she couldn’t help but remember the fact that they met because Dudley was already playing “Harry Hunting.” She knew the books were decidedly vague about what happened in Harry’s life, but she still remembers the few hints and they were too familiar to her.

            One of the reasons she loved the Harry Potter series was because she related to so many of the characters. She knows about a life of abusive guardians and no friends. Books were her solace, but that’s all they ever were. Stories that lived in her mind and nowhere else.

            The fact that she was now in one was as amazing as it was terrifying. There was a lot of love and good that came out his life, but there was so much pain. Nobody deserved the kind of loss that Harry had to go through in his life.

            Nova pulled on her jeans and a white t-shirt, grabbing the new backpack her foster parents got her. It was a simple grey, but it was new and clean. They didn’t live far from the school, so she wasn’t surprised when her and the other two kids still in primary, Dustin and Alex, ended up walking to the school.

            Nova walked a bit behind them, but close enough to be safe. She glanced around the neighborhood so she could make her way home on her own if needed. She glanced behind her and stopped.

            Twenty feet behind her, a small boy with messy black hair was walking with a battered backpack, staring at the ground as he moved. Nova turned back, unsurely stepping towards him. It was incredibly embarrassing

            She watched him move gradually closer before sighing, starting to turn back around. Just as she did, Harry looked up, noticing the blonde hair that shined in the sunlight. He bit his lip, wanting to call out, but he didn’t know if Nova wanted to still be friends.

            He looked back down, scuffing his shoes before looking up determinedly and speeding up.

            “Nova!” Harry called out.

            Nova turned in surprise, smiling brightly.

            “Hi Harry!” She said back happily and stopped to wait for him.

            He caught up and they both started walking again. They didn’t say much for a few minutes.

            “Are you feeling okay? You know…from before?” Harry asked. Nova blushed, realizing she probably had the worst reaction to meeting Harry that anyone else would have.

            “I’m okay,” she answered, smiling reassuringly. He smiled hesitantly back before looking back down, his glasses slipping down his nose. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it just as quickly. Nova watched in curiosity, but didn’t say anything, content to have someone to walk with.

            “Did you mean it before? About being friends?” Harry asked unsurely.

            “Of course, I did!” Nova exclaimed. Harry looked up, smiling in relief.

            They didn’t talk much, but when Harry hesitantly grabbed Nova’s hand, she felt like life was going to be very interesting indeed.

…

            The next summer would find Nova and Harry spending most of their time together in the park near both their houses. Nova often carrying an ice pack while Harry carried a bruise or two from his cousin. Apparently her becoming friends with Harry made Dudley just that much more upset.

            He didn’t like that Harry had a friend, especially one he couldn’t scare away or make into his friend. If they weren’t at the park, they would be sneaking into the public library and reading books whenever they could. The librarian would always watch them suspiciously but had begun realizing they really were just there to read and escape the occasional bully.

            After that, she was much nicer and even helped them find books they may like. Nova tended to drift to the more adult level books, what with her mental age. It certainly caused Harry to want to try and get better at reading. Suffice to say his reading and writing were much more advanced than most in their grade.

            Nova laid down in the grass enjoying the warmth and sunshine. She paid Harry no mind as he came and sat down next to her. He was taking longer and longer each day to escape the house as his chores got more numerous.

            “They gave me a clothes hanger,” he muttered sadly.

            Nova frowned, sitting up and hugging him close. She really hated people like the Dursleys. It was just cruel to take out their anger on Harry. There was no reason for it. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, unfolding it.

            “It’s not much, but I thought you’d like it,” she murmured, her cheeks going pink.

            She really did love drawing. It was one of the few things she was good at in her past life and she managed to retrain her body after practicing for a year every day.

            It was a pencil sketch of her and Harry sitting on their tree branch. It became a good place for them both to hide since Dudley and his friends didn’t want to try climbing up. It was a bit sloppy, but they were recognizable, and it was worth it to see Harry’s smile.

            “This is perfect,” he whispered, pulling Nova into a much happier hug, “thank you.”

            “Of course,” Nova said, swallowing thickly.

            She never had a friend close enough to give a present before. It was a novel experience for them both and she couldn’t help the small tear that fell out of her eye as she hugged him back.

            And if her smile was watery the next week when Harry gave her the small toy soldier he’d taken from Dudley’s room a year ago for her birthday, nobody had to know.

…

            The summer they turned seven was the year Harry began sneaking into Nova’s room via her window. His chore list and punishments were getting harsher, coming from Vernon instead of Dudley now. It didn’t happen too often during the school year and rarely showed up, but Nova knew.

            She had begun sneaking food into her room to give him, hoping it would help a bit. She felt bad for basically stealing from her foster parents, but they didn’t seem to notice or care, so she didn’t really think about it.

            It was during that same summer that Nova decided they needed a bigger adventure than the park. She managed Harry to sneak out one Saturday and they snuck onto a bus heading towards London.

            Surrey was right next to London, so it wasn’t that far, but it was a risky plan. While London was beautiful and somewhere Nova desperately wanted to go, they were only seven. So much could go wrong, especially with Wizarding Britain basically centered around the city.

            They made it off near Big Ben, both staring in awe at the city. They held hands tightly, making sure they wouldn’t lose each other. They walked towards St. James park, marveling at just how large it was. There were families having picnics and waiting for the guard to come around.

            Nova and Harry raced to the other side, laughing the whole way. They saw a sign pointing towards the London Library and neither could resist the temptation to check it out.

            As they walked down the street looking for a place to cross, Nova noticed another sign pointing towards Charing Cross which was only a few streets away. Her breath hitched as she thought about the fact that the Leaky Cauldron was so close.

            Neither would go there until they were eleven, but she felt drawn to the idea of going early. It was too dangerous, though. She knew that. She didn’t agree with him being left with his muggle relatives, but she knew he couldn’t go in there with just her.

            They made their way to the library, nobody seeming to notice the two seven-year-olds. Once they were both inside, they both gasped at just how many books there were. They grinned to each other, Harry pulling Nova around, looking at all the sections.

            They didn’t stay much longer, both growing hungry. Nova had a bit of allowance money from her foster parents and used it to buy some fish and chips from a street vendor.

            They walked towards the river while sharing their food, both pointing out something they liked along the way.

            When it got too late, they snuck back on a different bus and made their way back home. Harry didn’t even bother going home, climbing in Nova’s window. They both fell asleep exhausted but felt the day was absolutely worth it.

…

            The Dursleys couldn’t seem to decide whether they were upset or happy that Harry disappeared for whole days. On one hand, he wasn’t doing his chores which left them up to Petunia, but it also meant they could pretend he didn’t exist.

            The boy was still showing signs of his nasty family trait, but she was sure they could stamp it out eventually. Admittedly, it’d probably be easier if he didn’t have such a devoted friend.

            Petunia had met his one and only friend, Nova Black. Her name reminded her unpleasantly of one of Lily’s friends. She scared Mrs. Dursley sometimes. While the girl never seemed to say anything about how she treated her nephew or his living situation which she was sure the girl knew about, she obviously disapproved of it.

            The soon to be eight-year-old only gave a basic knock now when coming to their house to get Harry. Often staring at the cupboard in disgust. Petunia wanted to move the boy upstairs in case anybody came over, but Vernon was sure nobody would believe the girl.

            Still, when she looked into the girl’s strange eyes glowing in anger, she couldn’t help but think of magic and feel as if it had judged her guilty. That was ridiculous of course. Magic couldn’t judge her, could it?

…

            Nova and Harry spent his birthday in London again. One of the few trips they could make up there. She was determined to give him some kind of celebration every year no matter how small.

            At least this time they could pay for their tickets. Nova had begun doing chores around the neighborhood and had saved up enough for a nice day out.

            They went on the London Eye for the first time and both were mesmerized by the scene.

            “Amazing,” Harry whispered in awe. Nova nodded in agreement.

            Harry stayed quiet for quite a while, staring out towards the sky until they were off the ride and heading back to the park. Nova got some apples and grapes on their way and they took their time climbing one of the trees near the middle of the park.

            They had to be careful not to be caught but it wasn’t usually an issue. They leaned against the trunk on branches that were next to each other, watching others play in the park.

            “Something happened last night,” Harry stated randomly, looking unsure but determined.

            Nova looked over in question, wondering why he was so serious.

            “My aunt tried cutting my hair off…most of it anyways,” he began but Nova figured out quickly what he was about to talk about.

            _Accidental magic, of course! I can’t believe I forgot about it._

            Maybe it was due to her mental maturity or due to the fact most of her accidental magic manifested in her hair or eyes changing color which she quickly tried to control, but she largely forgot about the magical aspect of her new life. It seemed strange to realize, but it really wasn’t relevant until they were older, and it wasn’t like she could tell Harry what she knew. There was no way he’d believe her. Not about the magical world and definitely not about how she knew. If he did believe her, he may think she was only his friend because of the stories which definitely wasn’t true.

            Nova recognized that she probably knew a lot about many people that she had no business knowing, but it wasn’t the same as meeting them. How could a book explain how Harry liked the feel of grass under his feet? How could it show properly just how happy he got climbing the trees to their highest point and staring up at the sky. How could it explain how being in his presence was like being near light itself?

            A book could never show who Harry fully is, no matter the details it wrote. As Harry went on to explain his hair growing back over night, Nova made a decision. She couldn’t tell him everything, not yet. He wouldn’t understand and likely wouldn’t comprehend everything.

            She didn’t want to put that on him at eight. She didn’t really ever want to, but she could talk about magic. Wandless magic was a thing. Maybe they just had to practice it at a young age.

            “I believe you,” she said quietly as Harry looked nervously at her.

            She picked a small flower from the tree, stealing a trick she remembered a young boy showing a girl with hair like fire. She concentrated on the flower as Harry watched in confusion which quickly turned to shock as the small white flower floated above her hand, spinning slowly. She looked up as the flower fell back down to her hand and watched Harry as he processed.

            “What was that?” he asked in awe.

            “I think it’s…magic,” she answered, “and I think you can do it too.”

            He looked surprised, like he wouldn’t have ever thought of it.

            “My aunt and uncle don’t like that word,” he stated uncaringly, “nothing that even seems like magic is allowed in the house, even for Dudley.”

            “Maybe they don’t like it because you have it?” I commented blithely.

            He seemed to think over that before nodding his head.

            “That would make sense. It explains other things that have happened, too,” he said, grinning at his own thoughts.

            Nova smiled, looking out towards the park once again. Neither spoke for a while as the sunshine glimmered through the leaves of the tree. Harry looked up in thought, plucking out a few leaves.

            “Think we could control it?” he asked absentmindedly, staring intently at the leaves in his hand.

            “If we practiced, I’m sure it’s possible,” she said.

            After a few more minutes, the leaves began to lift off Harry’s hand, moving around in random circles. They danced around Nova’s head as Harry grinned in triumph. Nova laughed and clapped as the leaves fell down to the ground.

            “Now we know what to do over the school year,” Harry exclaimed happily.

            Nova could only smile and nod.

…

            That school year was much more entertaining and tiring than any of their others. Both were well enough ahead in reading and social studies and Nova helped Harry with any math he didn’t understand.

            They mostly spent their time trying to see what kid of magic they could do without getting caught. Nova was a bit concerned about the Statute, but they were only eight and nobody ever came to check on them. That was probably something to do with Dumbledore hiding Harry from the world.

            Harry was able to summon pencils or books across the table, though he didn’t practice summoning books or anything bigger unless they were in Nova’s room. Nova liked playing around with _lumos_ though she never called it that. She couldn’t help sometimes thinking of the names of certain spells, but she couldn’t remember most of them anyways.

            She liked trying to make the light float and change colors. She was able to make five different lights now with concentration. Magic was very tiring, though and they both slept heavily on the days they did practice.

            Also, Nova was pretty sure her foster parents had caught on to the extra guest in their home. They seemed to make more food even though one of their fosters had already left the house and Nova knows they’ve been in her room when there was a second backpack.

            Why they didn’t say anything, she didn’t know but she was eternally grateful. They were nice, she knew that, but it was hard to wrap her head around that. Her last time in foster care was a run through multiple homes and many of them were not kind.

            She was content with where she was now and was happy to be able to stay near Harry. It wasn’t all better, though.

            Harry still came over with bruises or an empty stomach. On days that were really bad, he’d end up laying down while she hummed a lullaby she remembered her mum singing when she was a child. It hurt whenever he came over with empty eyes and an emotionless mask.

            She couldn’t even do anything about it. Nobody listened to a child when they said their friend was being abused and the Dursleys were so perfect to their neighbors, it was never taken seriously. Harry had already given up the idea of getting away, not to mention he’d rather spend the rest of his life with the Dursleys than a day where he couldn’t see Nova.

            He could never lose his first and only friend like that. It was one of the few things they fought about. Harry won out, of course, since Nova was also thinking of how pretty soon he would be free for ten months of the year.

            The beginning of that summer, they were strolling through the library in London once again. They had just walked towards the fiction section when Nova was bumped into and had a bunch of frizzy hair in her face.

            “Oh, I am terribly sorry. I didn’t see you there,” the girl stepped back, smiling over at Nova in apology.

            Her olive toned cheeked darkened in embarrassment as she tugged on a strand of her incredibly curly brown hair. She looked about their age and was carrying a rather large book by her side. Nova smiled at her, shaking her head.

            “It’s not problem. It was an accident, there’s a lot to be distracted by in here,” Nova told her lightly. She nodded her head excitedly.

            “Oh! Yes, I love this library. It’s absolutely wonderful isn’t it? My parents hardly let me come, but I do so love it when I get the chance to get a book from here as the library in our town isn’t very big but it’s not that big of a deal since my parents come into London quite often. Do you come here a lot?” Harry and Nova stared wide eyed as the girl said all of that in one breath.

            Nova couldn’t help thinking of another in the girl’s place. A bookworm that had no friends growing up that Nova used to recognize as a kindred spirit. She even looked like her, but there was no way…

            “Oh, how silly of me,” she held her hand out, “I’m Hermione Granger.”

            Nova coughed as Harry shook her hand and introduced himself while looking at Nova in concern. She pushed all her thoughts to the back of her mind as she smiled and shook Hermione’s hand and introduced herself. She could freak out later and hopefully not pass out a second time.

            “You’ve already picked out a book,” Harry commented looking down to her side. Hermione nodded quickly.

            “I’ve been waiting for this to come in. It’ll be wonderful to begin reading it,” she started happily explaining what the book was about while keeping her voice low, ever aware of being in a library.

            Harry looked at Nova and shared a smile as they followed Hermione over to the fiction section so they could pick out books to read for the day. While Hermione was a bit hesitant in the beginning, after we stuck around to read books with her, her mood lifted up considerably.

            About an hour later found the three children in their own little corner, ignoring the books for once and talking quietly together. Hermione told them about her school and how her parents were dentists,, while Nova and Harry awkwardly explained where they both lived.

            Hermione was surprised but there wasn’t any kind of pity from her. She just hugged them both and they moved on to talking about other things. That’s where Mr. and Mrs. Granger found them when they were ready to leave.

            Hermione excitedly introduced them to her parents who were quite taken with the well-mannered children.

            “We must head home, but I assume your parents are nearby, yes?” Mrs. Granger asked. Hermione tried to talk to her, but Nova smiled politely and answered.

            “Oh, no ma’am, I’m sorry but Harry lives with his aunt and uncle and I live with foster parents. They are around here somewhere, I’m sure,” Nova explained.

            Hermione’s mum looked apologetic, but Nova tugged on Harry’s arm, deciding now was probably a good time to get out.

            “I do believe we should go find them, though. I gave Hermione my house number to call when she can, though so I’m sure you’ll meet them,” Harry let out a strained smile as Hermione narrowed her eyes but said nothing. There was no need to worry anyone with two children running around London.

            The Grangers didn’t push and soon they parted with promises to call and meet up that summer.

            Harry and Nova went home shortly after, climbing in through Nova’s window and splitting the small pile of sweets they bought, content with finding a new friend.

…

            Harry and Nova met with Hermione multiple times over the summer and once during winter break. The summer they turned nine, she even went to Nova’s house. Her parents met Nova’s guardians and seemed to get on well enough, thankfully nobody brought up where they met.

            She had become comfortable enough in their friendship to confide to Nova about her lack of friends at school and they spent a good amount of time hugging until they were interrupted with Nova’s window opening. Harry dropped in, looking up in surprise at Hermione who gasped.

            There was a bruise on his forehead, and he had a split lip, but it was pretty tame, Nova sighed sadly, getting up and checking him over.

            “What happened?” She asked, thinking of how to sneak and ice pack out of the freezer.

            “Early birthday day present,” he answered sarcastically, “Petunia decided a frying pan was much better than actually touching me. My lips from Dudley, though Vernon laughed so I guess that emotional trauma as well,” Harry joked brightly. Nova just glowered and his smile turned sheepish.

            “Harry, Nova…” they both looked at Hermione who was staring with wide eyes, tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.

            Nova sighed as Harry looked away quickly, uncomfortable. He never thought about telling Hermione about his family, but it didn’t seem like that was possible now.

            What followed was a very long and awkward conversation with mostly Nova explaining with Harry clarifying points. Hermione was silently staring straight ahead, not saying anything. When the bed started shaking, though, Nova felt there was an explosion coming. She was right, of course.

            “How could they?! They’re you’re family! What awful! Despicable…I can’t even call them people!” Hermione jumped up as Harry and Nova held onto the bed, wide eyed.

            “Hermione! Calm down before you give him whiplash,” Nova called out.

            “What?” Hermione spun around, her hair frizzing around her head, before abruptly going silent as the bed stopped shaking. She stared, wide-eyed, before biting her lip and looking at them in fear.

            “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I don’t mean for that to happen. It just _does_ and I don’t know _why,”_ she spoke quickly, her words running together.

            Harry jumped up and grabbed her shoulders, getting her to pause.

            “’Mione, calm down. It’s okay,” he glanced at Nova who nodded slightly, ‘we can do things too,” he whispered to her in secret.

            She looked at them both unsurely that quickly turned into shock as a book began flying about the room. She followed with her eyes until it landed in Harry’s hand.

            “Oh,” she said quietly.

            They took turns showing things they had learned to do with Hermione trying as well. She begun getting it just before her parents knocked on the door, letting Hermione know they were getting ready to leave. She really didn’t want to go, especially not now since she was enjoying time with her friends.

            Nova glanced over at her and smiled, rubbing her hands together in a classic evil villain pose.

            “Watch and learn, peasants, watch and learn,” she said imperiously, striding towards the door.

            Hermione looked confused, but Harry looked resigned, though he did quickly jump out the window as nobody was supposed to know he was there. Besides, he didn’t want to make up something about his injuries.

            Nova opened her door, smiling sweetly at Hermione’s parents.

            “Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, I’m so happy you let Hermione come over to spend time together. We were just about to talk about this new book Harry had got. I would very much love for her to stay over,” Nova lamented sadly, her eyes shining with supposed unshed tears. She tugged on her hair shyly, looking back up at them.

            Hermione watched, mouth agape, at the blatant manipulation even while her parents were completely charmed. Harry stifled a laugh while he listened in, used to it already.

            After a few more words and a quick conversation with Nova’s foster parents, Hermione was hugging her parents goodbye with a promise to pick her up tomorrow evening. She just continued to watch them drive away from Nova’s window as Harry and Nova sat on her bed.

“Why won’t you teach me that,” Harry complained.

Nova flipped my hair over her shoulder and stared at him in faux haughtiness.

“Because it’d never work for you. You aren’t as cute as me,” she proclaimed loudly.

Harry sniffed in fake anger, faking his own hair flip.

“I am plenty cute I assure you,” he promised.

They were interrupted in their fake argument by a stifled giggle. They looked over at Hermione who was covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking.

“You two are weird,” she stated.

“Normal’s boring,” Nova waved her hand at Hermione, “how can life be fun without some strangeness in it?” she queried.

“I suppose I’ll take your word for it since I am normal, thank you very much,” she raised her chin higher looking at them, her lips twitching.

“I’d believe that if you weren’t fighting back a smile right now,” Harry drawled in a rather impressive impression of Draco Malfoy. Which was odd since they haven’t even met yet.

She quivered in fear to imagine the meet and greet that’s going to take place eventually. She’d still pay money to see it though.

…

“How have you not read Lord of the Rings yet? It’s fantastic!” Hermione exclaimed, aghast.

“She claims elves shouldn’t be that attractive. That it’s not fair to the hobbits who are forced into the story,” Harry explained.

Nova looked entirely unrepentant as they all sat underneath her and Harry’s tree in the park. Nova looked over as the two debated on their favorite books. She couldn’t help the smile that popped up on her face.

Sometimes she would wake up and think everything was a dream, but then she’d see her room or feel Harry’s feet laying across her stomach and she’d realize it was true. She was really here. She was really friends with Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.

_They were really going to Hogwarts next year._

She felt a shiver run down her back, but from fear or excitement she was unsure. Hermione seemed much less standoffish now, more often than not she’d only sound snobbish if she was pretending with us. She seemed more confident in herself.

Maybe it was the security of having friendship before Hogwarts? It must have been tough to go from friendless in the muggle world to friendless in the wizarding world with much more prejudice.

Harry was happy. At least Nova thought he was. He was certainly more sarcastic and spoke more than how she remembered. He always had a wicked humor, though.

 _Pig in a wig, indeed,_ she mused to herself.

She laid her head in Harry’s lap who didn’t even flinch at the random contact. Hermione watched with a raised eyebrow but otherwise said nothing. She twirled a flower in her hand, its petals changing colors.

“Do you think there are more like us?” Hermione asked quietly.

Nova and Harry both looked at her, though she kept staring at the flower. Nova bit her lip, staring at them both.

She really didn’t think she could tell them everything yet. They were so young, and the story was so dark.

 _Wasn’t that Dumbledore’s excuse?_ The thought ran across her mind and shocked her.

She sat up abruptly. She didn’t want to be like him. He left a child in the middle of November on a doorstep to be abused for ten years. He then used the child as a weapon for the better part of his teenage years. He raised a child to let themselves die for people who only cared about themselves.

He condemned a child to years of hell and losing those he loved just so he could win a war the way _he_ wanted.

Nova didn’t want to manipulate her friends, but she couldn’t just _tell_ them. Could she?


End file.
